The Sound of Silence
by JayMars
Summary: Charlie and Casey are just two sisters trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. They stumble across a group of survivors and join their quest for sanctuary. Set in the end of season 1. Eventual Daryl/OC
1. Prologue

**AN: I do not own the Walking Dead unfortunately.  
**

Prologue

Their journey started in New York City. Charlie was an author working on her next installment in her series _The Wolftown Murders_ . She heard someone talking about cannibalistic attacks on the tv in the coffee shop she had written in for the last few months in Little Italy. Reports were coming in from various parts of the country for the last few days, but this one was different. This report was in Long Island.

"The Latest in from the incident this morning, the four attackers are described to having lifeless eyes and emotionless faces. They are assaulting anyone their vicinity. The death toll is at six civilians and four officers." the woman reporter informed the public.

Charlie didn't need to hear more. She needed to get her sister and herself out of the city before there was a mass panic. Charlie pulled out her phone as she started to pack up her things. "Call Casey." she told the phone. "Calling Casey." the mechanical voice said. She cradled the cell phone between her head and her shoulder, and headed to her apartment to pack a bag.

Casey was laying on her bed working on her Physics homework when her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey pack a bag we need to leave New York."

From New York the sisters started on their way down to West Palm Beach, Florida, where their mother lived with their step-father and their three half-siblings. Their trip was mostly smooth until reached Tallahassee. The streets were full of chaos. Buildings being looted, the dead ravenous for human flesh, the police and soldiers attempting to gun down all the risen dead that they came across. Charlie scoffed at the people they drove by looting a Best Buy. They were taking laptops, TVs, and other electronics that were likely have no use soon.

The sisters left Tallahassee as soon as possible. When they got to West Palm Beach most of the streets deserted. Their mother's house was turned over. Charlie and Casey procured all the useful items they could and hopped back in their car to go back north. They traveled through Florida, Alabama, and Georgia for a few weeks before they found themselves just outside of Atlanta.


	2. Chapter 1: Just The Beginning

Chapter 1: It's Just The Beginning

Charlie was letting her sister Casey drive for once so she could get some sleep in the passenger seat. Casey had the Lady Gaga cd that she found in an abandoned car playing as she drove down the long two lane asphalt. She had the music on low to not wake up her older sister. The sisters had been on the road for a few days, each of them taking long driving shifts. When they ran out of gas they would park the car and go scavenge what they could out of stranded cars and houses along the way.

Casey brought her mind back to the present. In the distance she saw some cars up ahead blocking the road. "Charlie. Time to get up." she said nudging her sister's shoulder. Charlie groaned and turned away from her. "Road's blocked up a head."

Charlie let out a groan and opened her eyes. "How long was I out?" she asked while stretching a bit.

Casey shrugged. "About a cd and a half." she replied. As they got closer to the blocked road an RV could be made out. "Hey there's an RV. Maybe the mother load of supplies." Casey perked up.

Charlie rubbed the back of her neck and her head gave a nod.

A few seconds later a couple of guys came around front of the RV and in to sight. "People." they both said with dread.

Casey looked at her sister in disbelief. " This is bad. They could be dangerous." she stated while putting the car in park. "Should we turn around?"

A some more people came out of the RV. Two of them kids. "They have at least two kids with them. They wont pull anything in front of them." Charlie reasoned. She took off her seat belt. She then opened the glove box and grabbed their gun which she put behind her jean shorts. "Plus it looks like they've broken down."

Casey sighed thinking about the last group of people they ran into. How much trouble they were. They were lucky to have made it away mostly unscathed. "If this goes south I get the last cup of coffee." she claimed.

Charlie staled for a second. "Okay deal." she agreed.

Casey put the car in drive once more and got closer to the stopped caravan. As they got closer they gained the people's attention. When they were a few car lengths away Casey put the car in park and turned off the vehicle. "If this gets us killed, I'll bring you back to life and kill you myself." Casey threatened her sister.

Charlie shrugged. "If they kill us you are more than welcome to." she smiled.

The sisters got out of the car and their doors closed in sync. The group up ahead already turned their way with a few weapons pointed their way. Charlie put both of her hands up in a non threatening fashion. "Hey you guys need help?" she asked. "We don't want any trouble. We saw that you were pulled over."

"Is it just the two of you?" a guy with dark wavy hair inquired. He was one of the first to have his gun up at them. He was looking her up and down. Charlie was now regretting her short shorts and tank top she was sporting.

Casey stepped up next to her sister. "Yeah just my sister and I." she said steering the attention her way. "Our dad owned a garage. He taught us a thing or two about cars if you guys broke down."

The weapons went down except the crossbow. "I could really use your help then." said an older man as he made his way in front of them. He held his hand out. "I'm Dale."

Casey shook his hand. I'm Casey." she informed them. "And that's Charlie."

That's how Charlie and Casey found their way to a still smoking RV. "Why'd y'all stop? You didn't know if we were hostile or not." a man named Glen asked the sisters.

Casey prodded something under the hood with a rag covered hand. "Charlie made me pull over." she started to explain. "She saw you had a couple of kids with you. Figured you wouldn't try to murder us while we were unarmed."

Charlie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "We've come across our fair share of unsavory types and you guys don't look it." she added.

"I see." Glen nodded.

Dale walked up behind them. "It needs a new hose." he pointed out. "I've been keeping this one together with duck tape."

"Looks like more duck tape than hose at this point." Charlie jested with a slight smile. "I take it you're out of duck tape?"

Dale shook his head. "All out." he replied. "We were just about to send a couple of people a head to look for a gas station. See if there would be any there."

Casey wiped her hands on the rag in her hand and tossed it at her sister who promptly stuck her tong out at her. "No need. We've got some in the trunk." she offered with a smile. "I'll be right back."

"Case!" Charlie scolded as her little sister walked away. "You know how I feel about that."

"Whatever!" Casey said as she walked away with a little bounce in her step.

Dale chuckled. "What was that all about?" He asked in amusement.

"People who say 'I'll be back' usually end up dead." she explained. They just stared at her. "You know in the movies. Do you know why they don't come back?"

Glen smiled. "I don't know. Why?" He humored her.

"They don't come back cause they're dead." Charlie proclaimed. "Only in the real world now, they will come back. They come back and try to eat you." The two men laughed. "Don't say I didn't warn ya when it happens to you."

Casey came back with the duck tape around her wrist. "Don't mind her." she said handing the duck tape off to Dale. "She was a writer. And see I'm all safe and sound."

"Still am." Charlie slapped her sister's arm. "Just cause I'm the fun one…"

"Whatever" Casey groaned rolling her eyes. She turning towards Dale and Glen. "So where are you guys headed?"

"We're on our way to the CDC in Atlanta." another man said behind Charlie who was leaning against the RV. "I'm Rick."

Casey held her hand out shaking his hand. "Casey. Just driving around keeping on the move." she said. "Don't want to stay somewhere too long and let things go south."

"You guys know that Atlanta is over run right?" Charlie pointed out running a hand through her blonde hair.

Rick nodded. "Yeah it's on the outskirts though so we should be okay." he stated. "We have a plan."

Charlie shrugged. "Alright then." she stood up straight. "Well after Dale's done with the duck tape we'll be on our way. Don't want to be a bother."

Rick held his hand out in a halting motion . "You two are welcome to join us." he offered. "Wouldn't be a bother at all."

Charlie looked at Casey and they shared a few looks. "Alright." they said together.


	3. Chapter 2: Chasing The Sun

Chapter 2: Chasing The Sun

Casey and Dale rigged up the radiator hose in the RV with the duck tape. Rick went to check on Jim, an injured man in the RV. Charlie and Casey stood by their car waiting for everyone to be ready to leave. Glenn walked over to them and leaned against the hood of the car by Charlie. "So you were a writer before all this?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah." she answered. "Still am. I have a few notebooks in the car. Just not fiction anymore."

"So you were like an Author then. Hm." Glenn smiled.

"What of it?" Charlie asked and nudged his arm with her elbow.

He shook his head. "I just had you pegged as a journalist or something." he stated.

Charlie laughed. "You're funny." she said. "So not to wreck the mood, but what happened to the guy in the RV?"

Glenn's smile fell in to a frown. " The night before last our camp was overrun." he explained. " We lost about half of our group. Jim was bit during the chaos."

Charlie put her hand on his arm. "I am so sorry." she told him.

Glenn rubbed the back of his neck. "That's why we're going to the CDC. See if they have a cure and maybe some answers to how all this started and what's really going on."

Rick came out of the RV and everyone gathered around. Charlie and Casey stayed back a bit not to intrude. "Jim is getting worse." he told the group. "He want's us to leave him here. It's what he says he wants."

"Is he lucid?" Carol questioned.

Rick fiddled with his hat. "He seems to be." he replied.

"Back at the camp when I said Daryl was right and you shot me down, you misunderstood." Dale said. "I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just going to suggest that we ask Jim what he wanted. And now it looks like we've got our answer."

Shane turned his head towards Rick. "So we just leave him here. Take off?" he shook his head. " I don't think I could live with that."

Lori stepped forward. "It's not your call." she told him. "Either of you." She looked to her husband.

A few minutes later Shane and Rick helped Jim out of the RV and sat him down at the base of a tree. "Hey," Jim said sounding a bit out of breath. "Another damn tree." He let out a small laugh.

Shane knelt in front of the injured man. "Hey Jim. It doesn't have to be like this." he told him.

"It's good." Jim said in a raspy voice full of pain. "The breeze feels nice."

"Okay." Shane said. He patted Jim's shoulder, nodded, and stood straight. "Alright."

Everyone took turns saying their goodbyes to Jim. Charlie and Casey were last. Even though they hadn't really known the man, it was still difficult for the sisters to see the man in so much pain. "Hi Jim." Charlie said as she knelt next to him. "I'm Charlie and this is my sister Casey."

"Hi Jim." Casey waved at him. Not getting to close. He nodded at them.

Charlie put her hand on his. "I have some muscle relaxers I could give you to ease the pain." she offered. She took a pill bottle out of the front pocket of her messenger bag. He looked unsure. She took a few pills out of the bottle and put them in his hand. "Here I'll just leave you with some and if you want to take them later, you'll be able to. Alright?"

Jim nodded. "Thank you." he said.

Charlie smiled at him. "Goodbye Jim." she said.

Casey nodded at him and they returned to their car. Glenn was back leaning against the hood. "Hey can I ride with you guys." he asked.

Charlie nodded. "I'm driving." she called.

* * *

The caravan was back on the road heading to the CDC. Charlie was driving with Glenn in the passenger seat and Casey in the back. The three were playing 20 questions to pass the time.

"Does it have horns or antlers?" Casey asked Glenn. She was leaning over the front seats.

He nodded. "Sometimes." he answered.

It was Charlie's turn to ask. The writer thought for a moment. "Ummmm…" she let out as she tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel. "Does it live in the woods?" she finally asked.

"Yup it can." he said looking out the window.

Casey's face brightened. "Is it a deer?" she asked.

Glenn smiled. "Good guess, but no." he teased.

The three gone quiet as they pulled up near the CDC. The place looked like a war zone. There were tanks, barricades, and road blocks. There were also hundreds of dead bodies littering the ground between the group and the facility. They all got out of their vehicles and started towards the building.

Shane, Rick, Glenn, Andrea, Dale, and T-Dog all wielded guns. Daryl had his crossbow at the ready in one hand and a shotgun in the other. Lori and Carol held their children close shielding them from the horrific scene. Jacqui had a pocket knife ready in her hand. Charlie and Casey had their machetes in one had and a pocket knife in the other, both of them on one side of Carol and Lori.

"Alright. Everyone keep moving." Shane directed. "Just keep quiet and let's go."

Many of the group started to cough and block their noses from the horrible stench coming from the decaying bodies they were passing. "Okay y'all stay together." Rick told them.

"Keep moving, come on." Shane added as they passed a truck with bodies surrounding it. "Keep it together. Almost there."

They got to the building and they saw that shutters covered the doors and windows. The building was all locked up tight. Rick tried a key code panel on outside wall and nothing happened. "Nothing." Rick muttered.

Shane leaned against one of the shutters and tried to push it open with no success. He then banged on it. "There's nobody here." he said.

"Then why are the shutters down?" Rick reasoned.

"Walker." Daryl shouted out. Sure enough when everyone turned there was a walker walking in their direction. He downed it with his crossbow. "You led us to a graveyard." he advanced on Rick.

"He made a call." Dale defended. Shane interceded Daryl.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl shouted and Shane pushed him back.

"Shut up!" Shane yelled and pointed his finger in Daryl's face. "Shut the hell up!" He turned back to Rick. "This is a dead end."

"Where are we going to go?" Carol shrieked.

"Do you hear me!" Shane yelled. "A dead end!"

"She's right." Lori said hugging Carl to her side. "We can't be this close to the city after dark."

"Fort Benning, it's still an option." Shane suggested.

"On what." Andrea pointed out. "No food, no fuel. It's a hundred miles."

"125" Glenn corrected. "I checked the map.

"Forget Fort Benning." Lori said. "We need answers tonight." Carl started to sob.

Rick put his hand in the air. "We'll think of something." he said. The group started to make their way back to the cars. Rick was still looking at the CDC as he backed away. Then the camera moved.

"The camera." Rick stated. "It moved."

The group stopped. "You imagined it." Dale reasoned.

"It moved." Rick said getting closer to the building. "It moved."

"Rick." Shane said as he came up next to him. "Even if it did, it's an automated device man. Come on." Shane grabbed his arm to pull him away. "Come on man. Rick, everyone in this place is dead."

Rick fought him off and pushed him away. He banged on the shutters. "Rick there is nobody there." Charlie call out to him. Shane tried to pull him away once more.

"I know you're in there." Rick said to the camera. "I know you can hear me. Please we're desperate. Please help us! We have women and children. No food."

Lori passed Carl over to Casey. She went to her husband as Rick continued to plead with the camera. "We've got barely any gas left."

Lori was in front of him. "There's nobody in there." she told him as he was trying to get to the building.

They had gotten the attention of a few more walkers. Glenn fired on one and it fell to the ground. "Keep your eyes open." Shane told the rest of the group. "Keep alert."

Rick went at the shutters again. "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!" he yelled. "You're killing us."

Charlie put her pocket knife though a walker's temple and slashed at another with her machete. Both of them went down. She looked around to find where Casey was and felt a hand wrap around her arm. She turned towards the walker just in time to see an arrow pierce its head. She nodded at Daryl in thanks and Daryl returned the gesture. Then they were flooded in a bright light.


End file.
